Healing Los Angeles: Free Dental & Vision Care

Health care access

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

According to the 2019-2023 Community Oral Health Improvement Plan (County of Los Angeles, Public Health), 65% of lower income Angelenos have not had a dental visit in the past year. Services through Medi-Cal or Denti-Cal can be daunting, especially for those who lack an official ID, don't speak English, or experience other barriers to insurance or services. There are nearly 75,000 disabled veterans in LA County with many not eligible to receive services from the VA.Poor oral health severely limits the ability of individuals to obtain and maintain employment, housing, and other life necessities, and can lead to and exacerbate other ailments, causing endocarditis (infection of the heart), contributing to cardiovascular disease, pregnancy and birth complications, and pneumonia. By providing free, quality, integrated dental, and vision services to those who need it most, Healing California is a champion for equitable healthcare access for all people.

This year, Healing California is taking patient care to Veteran Stand Downs, community health centers, VFW Posts, high schools, colleges, community-based organizations, and neighborhood centers in Los Angeles County. Healing California has designed and implemented free, low-barrier, quality dental and vision care in partnership with other community-based nonprofits and a vast network of licensed, volunteer health care professionals and other general volunteers to increase access to dental and vision care for low-income Angelenos. For each pop-up dental and vision clinic, Healing California brings all the equipment and supplies – full mobile dental field units, triage station, x-ray, vision testing equipment, and mobile optical lab to make prescription glasses on site – to the partner and rallies the professional and supportive volunteers to staff the clinic and provide services. The partner provides the space and the patients in need.

We remove as many barriers to accessing care as possible. We do not require proof of income, citizenship, or veteran discharge status; paperwork is limited to the minimum necessary to provide care. Healing California does not charge for services and provides language interpretation whenever possible. Above all, we treat all patients with dignity and respect.

Healing California is taking a fresh approach to increasing access to oral health and vision care. The model designed by Healing California brings care to marginalized community members by coordinating with the community partners that work directly with them. The organization has lean staffing that focuses on volunteer recruitment and support as well as logistical planning and support for clinics. Professional and supportive volunteers connect directly with their own communities to provide care. In addition to increasing access to care, Healing California hopes to increase community connection and investment through widespread volunteerism, and to foster creativity in support of community members in need.